Central Vermont Public Service Corp. affirmed its 2008 earnings guidance on Friday, after saying first-quarter earnings rose nearly 4 percent, despite a slight decline in retail revenue.

Central Vermont continues to expect 2008 earnings per share in the range of $1.50 to $1.60.

Central Vermont shares dropped $1.02, or 4.4 percent, to $22.41 in afternoon trading, after hitting a 52-week low of $21.65 earlier in the session.

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